


The Summer of Pure Gold

by sassmasterkillian



Category: The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
Genre: Gen, also i didn't change the names of any of the characters so i mean there's that, and i need to tag all of them even though they come in later, are you still even reading these tags?, i wanna add more relationship tags but i'll probably end up doing that later, oh jeez what do i even tag here, seriously if you are there's no point
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-09
Updated: 2014-11-16
Packaged: 2018-01-15 02:58:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1288651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassmasterkillian/pseuds/sassmasterkillian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Patroclus isn't one to have grand, elaborate summer plans, and would rather sit at home and read than go out. But when his parent sign him up for Camp Phthia for an entire summer session, Patroclus is thrown into a whirl wind of bond fires, lake front activities, and the golden boy of the camp who just so happens to be the camp director's son, Achilles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I noticed that there weren't too many modern AUs in the tag, so I decided to write a summer camp AU!  
> If there's something already like this out there, just give me a shout and I'll fix it or take it down idk.
> 
> Enjoy! xx

_Shirts: 10, Pants: 5, Shorts: 7, Shoes: 3._ Patroclus listed the items in his head as he scanned through his immaculately packed suitcase. _Toothbrush: 1, Towel: 1, Books: 6, Swim trunks: 3, Miscellaneous items:  7._ He furrowed his brow and recounted a neatly folded pile of boxers. _Boxers: 12._ Shrugging his shoulders lazily, he tossed another pair of boxers into the forest green suitcase. _Better to be safe than sorry._ Finally satisfied, he zipped up his suitcase quickly, the noise of the zipper echoing against his room’s walls. Then silence.    
  
“Patroclus! It’s time to go.” His mother’s cheery voice called from the bottom of the stairs. Patroclus blinked for a moment, processing his mother’s words carefully. It couldn’t be time to go yet. It was too soon.  He swallowed hard, easing his hand onto the suitcase, and slowly lifted it down the staircase.  
“Oh, you look so down.” Patroclus’ mother pressed her hand to his cheek. “This will be fun!”  
  
“Overnight camp? _Fun?”_  
  
“Well I’m sure it will be. Camp Phthia is a well-reviewed camp.”  
  
The dark haired young man sighed, his eyes shifting and averting his mother’s gaze. “I suppose.”  
  
Oblivious, his mother simply replied. “That’s the spirit! Now come on, we have quite the drive ahead of us.”  
  
~~  
  
Once in the car, Patroclus was left in silence once again. Drowning out the sound of his parents’ cheesy 80’s hits on their local radio station, he slipped his grey headphones on. It wasn’t like he didn’t like the idea of summer camp; of _course_ he liked the idea of it. But that was when he was younger.  He’d much rather sit at home and read all summer, or visit the beach every day. But none the less, he had agreed to go to some estranged camp that he’d never heard of before. _I mean really, who names a camp Phthia?_ He thought.  The mixture of green trees flashed before his eyes; beams of brilliant light peeking through the thick foliage.  Though Patrolcus was reluctant, he could at least agree that the scenery would be at least half decent at the camp.  
  
Hours trickled away, high ways turned into trailed paths, and soon the car came to a jolting halt. Gasping softly, Patroclus’ eyes snapped open, darting in each direction.  
“We’re here.” His father stated coolly, and turned his head to glance at his son for the first time since they left. “Time to wake up.”  
Patroclus groaned, slumping further down into his leather car seat. His father rolled his eyes. “Come on, it won’t be that bad.” Without another word, he unbuckled himself while reaching for the car door, forcing his feet out onto the dusty ground. The air was sharp, pricking at his skin as he stood and made his way to the trunk of the car.  Finally heaving the suitcase from the car, which was suddenly a lot heavier than Patroclus remembered, he turned towards his parents.  
  
“I guess I’m ready to go.” He shrugged slightly.  
  
“We’ll miss you, Pat.” His mother said, enveloping his arm around Patroclus’ shoulders.  
  
Patroclus replied without skipping a beat. “I’ll miss you too.” His father smiled softly and waved at his son. He was never a big fan of goodbyes, and nor was Patroclus.  
  
~~  
  
Patroclus was left to bite the dust. Literally. A few moments later, his parents zoomed down the exiting path, creating a gigantic cloud of smoke that strangled Patroclus’ throat to no end. He coughed, sputtered, and practically fell over from the car’s fumes and dirt. When his chest didn’t feel as if it had been kicked in and deflated, he decided to make his way over down to main camp. His suitcase constantly got stuck on the path, little pebbles pushing themselves into the wheels of the suitcase with no mercy. Patroclus was nearly about to just push it down the rest of the path when a scruffy, buff looking man walked up to him.  
  
“Do you need any help?” He asked, leaning into Patroclus with concern.  
  
Patroclus blinked quickly. “I-I’m, um, okay. If you want to-“His sentence was cut short when the man picked up the suitcase in one swift motion; no hesitation, no struggle what so ever. The man began to walk down the path effortlessly, almost bursting at the seams with happiness. “So, you must be Patroclus, yes?”  
  
“Oh, oh yeah.” Patroclus replied quickly, shocked. He jogged up to the man to keep up with his pace.  
  
“I’m Peleus,” He said, turning his head for a split second to give Patroclus a soft grin. “I’m the director of Camp Phthia.”  
  
 _I’m literally getting my suitcase carried to camp by the camp director. This couldn’t be more embarrassing._ “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”  
  
Peleus chuckled. “And it’s a pleasure to meet you.”  
  
Patroclus didn’t speak after that. He wasn’t sure about whether he wanted to ask Peleus about how he knew who he was, or why he was helping him. Biting his tongue seemed like a better plan anyways. The silence gave him some escape to look around at the never ending forest that marked the boarder of the camp. They looked ominous, even in daylight, with twisting branches and rigid pine needles covering every inch of their rough bark. The mystery and curious nature of the forest stirred something within him; something terrifying but also thrilling. He made a mental note to scope it out afterwards.  
  
~~  
  
Peleus had dropped Patroclus off at Cabin #12, which was painted an almost violent red with a green roof. It wasn’t the most conventional place to stay, but he preferred it much more than sleeping in tents. Patroclus took a moment before opening the cabin door, which made an awful squeak when he opened the door slowly. He poked his head inside the cabin, hoping to not make too much noise but to at least get a view of the interior. Stretching his head and body a little too far, he tripped on one of the steps clumsily. _Great, way to make an entrance!_ His eyes scanned the tiny cabin quickly in a hope to catch a glimpse of whoever was in there. And sure enough, his entire cabin was there to witness the shit show that Patroclus believed he was. Flustered, he rose to his feet shakily.  
  
“Um, hi.” Patroclus forced his throat to cooperate and not retreat, though not saying anything seemed like a _much_ better option.  
  
Another boy, not too far off from his age with bronzed skin and strong shoulders sauntered up to him as soon as his quaking words popped out of his mouth. “Hello,” His expression was smug, his body language intimidating, and his eyes were far too piercing for Patroclus to try and stand up taller. Patroclus gulped and raised his eyebrows, unsure of what to do. _Do I shake his hand? Do I simply nod?_ “I’m Hector.”  
  
Patroclus nodded and smiled softly. “I’m Patroclus. It’s-“ He paused briefly to stretch out his hand. “-nice to meet you.” Hector glanced at the suddenly confident boy’s hand, then back up to him. With a forced grin, his hand met his and shook it firmly.  
Something wasn’t right about Hector, but Patroclus couldn’t tell exactly what it was.  
  
The other boys in the cabin introduced themselves soon after, but Patroclus could barely keep up with all of their names. His head was spinning with relief and a slight twinge of embarrassment, and he knew that he wanted to be alone where he could at least hear himself think. But, apparently being alone wasn’t in the agenda for overnight camp. A clamorous chime sounded from the middle of camp, loud enough to shake the walls of the cabin. “Dinner time!” The shortest boy in the cabin yelled, grinning brightly. The group of boys practically sprinted for the door, getting caught in a huge crowd and shouting ceaselessly. Patroclus waited patiently for everyone to file out before stepping out of the cabin cautiously (obviously avoiding those trip-inducing steps), and watched as everyone scurried to the dining hall. The camp was gigantic, with rows upon rows of girls and boys all heading into the even bigger dining hall, which was covered in camp spirit day posters and paintings done by campers. It was charming, even timeless. Patroclus looked over each shoulder hastily, then exhaled.  
“Well,” He blinked, trying to stay calm. “Here goes nothing.”  
  
~~  
  
When Patroclus arrived at the dining hall, he was greeted by blaring voices and fulfilling smiles. He wasn’t exactly sure where to sit, so he slipped onto the edge of his cabin’s numbered table. Plates, cups, and cutlery were flying down the table, being passed so fast down the long, wooden table that Patroclus thought they would surely fall of if he didn’t catch them.  He stretched his fingers and caught them without any difficulty, making him grin to himself for a moment. Even if it wasn’t a big accomplishment, it was still something that could brighten his day.  
Dinner seemed to drone on for ages, and Patroclus got caught up in the conversations of others like a fish getting tied up in fishing wire. He chewed quietly, trying his hardest not to make a sound. From staying silent, he noticed that the girls at the other table were gossiping about some boy who was ‘too hot to even be REAL!’.  For some unexplainable reason, Patroclus decided to hang onto their conversation for dear life, listening to every word as if it was going to be their last.  
  
“I heard that Achilles has been training the entire year for fencing.”  
  
“He fences? That is _so_ hot.”  
  
“And have you seen him? With his blond hair and dreamy blue eyes? Ugh, I could just die!”  
  
Patroclus raised an eyebrow. _Really? Could you die?_  
A hand suddenly patted his shoulder and startled him, making him jump suddenly. “Whoa, _you’re_ tense.”  
  
Patroclus turned his head quickly, knowing that voice too well already. “Uh, sorry Hector, it’s just I was thinking.”  
  
Hector nodded while crossing his arms. “I bet you were. Now can you get another jug of water for the table?”  
  
“Oh, oh yeah! Yeah sure.” Patroclus pushed himself off from the table and began to wade his way through the other campers milling around the dining hall. He grabbed another clear jug and started to make his way back to the table when a voice caught his attention from the table he was passing.  
  
“Achilles, now come on, you can’t just say that you spent the entire year doing nothing. That’s a blatant lie.”  
  
A light, care free laugh followed the strange voice’s words. Patroclus turned around quickly, peering back at whoever had laughed. And there he was, the rumored ‘so hot I could just die’ Achilles. Finally getting a good look at him, he could see why the girls had agreed that they could die over him. His hair was perfectly parted, angling his face in the most flattering way, and was the most golden shade of blond he’d ever seen. More golden that the afternoon sky’s brilliant sun. His eyes lit up the entire room, crinkling at the sides as he smiled, and blended into his smooth, tanned skin. Patroclus couldn’t move; it was as if the world had stopped spinning and left him with nowhere to go and no way to move. There was only him, the beautiful Achilles, in a sea of ordinary while he was extraordinary.  
  
“Hey!” Achilles called over to Patroclus, who had been staring for a good minute. Patroclus blinked, finally released from his trance. He gestured to himself just to make sure he didn’t mean anyone else. Achilles nodded, smiling at him genuinely. _Oh, what the hell?_   Patroclus shuffled over to Achilles shyly, water jug still in hand.  
  
Achilles’ eyes scanned him up and down. “I haven’t seen you around be here, are you new?”  
  
“I-I…” Patroclus stammered, but nodded instantly. “Y-Yes, I am.”  
  
“Well, I’m Achilles.” He flashed another heart melting smile at Patroclus, making him feel weak in the knees. Achilles chuckled softly, looking at the confused boy. “And you are?”  
  
“Patroclus.” He could feel his palms begin to sweat, making him clutch onto the jug tightly.  
  
Achilles nodded slowly, staring into his eyes as if they were windows. “I’m sure I’ll see you around, Patroclus.”  
  
Patroclus felt his throat close up, and instead of saying goodbye he smiled coyly and turned back to his table once more.  When he sat back down, he couldn’t hide the wide, wide smile on his blushing face.


	2. An Unlikely Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY PATROCLUS AND ACHILLES TALK THIS IS TRULY INCREDIBLE EVERYONE.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is about 6-8 months late! but thank you guys for still giving this fic kudos it brightens my day! i love you all xoxo

Last night's events seemed more kindred to a dream than reality when Patroclus woke up the next morning. He was covered in a cold sweat, the sheets on top of him provided no solace for his clammy limbs and chilled skin. Moving as quietly as possible, he popped his head out around the corner of his bunk bed, revealing 3 other bunk beds inhabited by his fellow cabin mates, completely fast asleep. Hector could be seen rolling over every now and then, and snored so loudly that Patroclus was unsure of how he even managed to fall asleep in the first place. He knew that there was no way he'd be falling back asleep anytime soon. And most of all, he knew that he wouldn't want to be in the cabin when everyone finally woke up. He didn't want to imagine the noise and chaos of the rowdy boys he'd been paired with at 6:30 in the morning.  
  
His feet hit the scuffed wooden floor soundly before forcing the rest of his body upright. It was right then he realized that making it from one end of the room to the other would be a problem. A big problem. The rest of the floor was cluttered with opened suitcases, oceans of shirts strewn across the floor, and shoes scattered at all corners of the room. He picked up any clothes he could find and hastily rushed to the back to get change. Once settled in a loose fitting maroon hoodie and blue jeans, Patroclus dashed to the door without hesitation as quiet as a mouse. With his shoes by the door, he picked them up and shut the door behind him swiftly.  
  
A smile danced on his lips when he saw the view before him. Wisps of mist swirled on top of the lake, grazing the surface. The sun crept in through the lush green foliage and the light tickled Patroclus' skin with blissful warmth. He smiled, genuinely smiled, for the first time since he'd gotten there. Well, aside from that smile he gave Achilles.  
  
As Patroclus strolled around the camp grounds, he thought about his encounter with the all mighty Achilles. He could understand why those giddy girls were throwing themselves at him and going on about him. Hell, he probably would too if he was them. His eyes were rapid seas, his smile felt like a cozy blanket, his voice reminded him of warm brown sugar. Everything about him was smooth like marble. No, not marble. He was like gold. Pure gold.  
  
While walking around one of the camp's many dirt trails, Patroclus heard a loud metal clash among the trees. He stopped dead in his tracks, worried that he'd bump into one of the other boys from the cabins. But Patroclus, of all things, was curious. He pushed away a few stray branches, revealing a tiny cove right on the lake. An equally tiny cave stuck out directly to his right which was practically hidden behind the multitude of trees. His eyes eagerly scanned the small piece of heaven before him until his eyes landed on none other than Achilles, who was practicing fencing all by himself. Patroclus' mouth hung open, completely and utterly enthralled by his agility. Each move he made was precise, each lunge he took pushed him farther into the act. The determination on his face was unmistakable, Patroclus could hardly feel his lungs pull air in and push air out of himself while watching him. Time froze completely for him.  
  
Achilles glanced to the side and quickly noticed the boy. He dropped his sword clamorously onto the ground with a cheeky grin parting his supple lips.  
  
"Do you always stare at people like that?"  
  
Patroclus nearly fell over once he spoke but quickly regained his strength as he took a hasty breath.  
  
"I mean, no, not really. God I'm so sorry-"  
  
"Don't sweat it," Achilles  cut him off, his smile now bigger than ever. "Care to join?"  
  
This comment took him aback. He could barely croak out a response. So Patroclus nodded, pushing his way through the endless trees to meet him. He searched for an extra sword that he assumed he had.  
  
"Am I supposed to fight you?"  
  
Achilles picked up his sword again, this time balancing it in his hand. "Oh no. You can't."  
  
"How come?"  
  
A sigh parted his lips. "Because my mother won't let me. She's convinced that I'll be the top international fencer by the end of the summer."  
  
"So you've never actually practiced fighting anyone? How do you know that you'll be the best?" Patroclus furrowed his brow.  
  
  
The slender boy lunged once again, stretching his limbs as far as he could. "I don't," He twirled the sword within his palm. "That's the fun part."  
  
Patroclus continued to furrow his brow. He didn't speak for a few moments, but simply watched Achilles practice.  
  
  
Achilles put down the sword once again and walked up to Patroclus, grinning shamelessly. "So how are you liking camp, Newbie?"  
  
The dark haired boy chuckled, his eyes skirting the ground. "I'm getting used to it. It's different... I don't know."  
  
  
"Very thoughtful Patroclus,  _very_  thoughtful stuff."  
  
  
Patroclus smirked as red began to rise onto his cheeks. Even when Achilles said his  _name_  it sounded a million times better. "Oh yeah? Well how's the Golden Boy holding up?"  
  
"He's holding up perfectly well, thank you. Although he is getting pretty sick and tired of being called Golden Boy."  
  
The two laughed in unison before their eyes locked. Achilles' infectious smile still hung on his lips, as it had the entire time he was with Patroclus. Even though they had barely spoken, he felt a strong connection with the latest boy to set foot on camp Phthia. It was as if he would need him, whether he liked it or not from this point on. Each moment felt electric; Achilles swore that when he peered into his eyes he could see the edgeless universe he had always wanted to see. He was curious, yet terrified all together. Everything about Patroclus was unknown, and he liked that.  
  
"I'm sure you'll like this camp," Achilles finally broke their gaze. "I mean, it can be rough, but it's home. It'll be yours soon enough."  
  
"I sure hope so. My cabin's a living nightmare. I can't stand half the people in there. It's complete chaos."  
  
  
Patroclus glanced down at the ground, completely aware of how honest he was being with someone he'd just met. He was never so open about how he felt about things, or not even nearly as joking with anyone else he had ever met. Achilles wasn't hard to talk to. With him everything just felt so effortless and easy.  
  
"Why don't you come room with me?" Achilles chimed in as if to be on queue.  
  
"Are you sure? Can't I not switch or something?"  
  
"No, no you can. My room only has two beds in it. It's usually just mine, sometimes if the camp's over crowded someone will room with me. My mother likes to keep me away from a lot of the other campers."  
  
Patroclus nodded, now interested about Achilles' seemingly dreadful mother. But it wasn't the right time for him to ask about her. "Well, if it's no trouble, then okay."  
  
"Brilliant," The blond boy flashed a full smile at Patroclus, which made his heart nearly skip a beat all over again. "I'll bring it up to my father at breakfast. And speaking of breakfast, we should head to the dining hall."  
  
The pair began walking promptly and retraced their way to the dining hall, grinning and laughing the whole way there.


End file.
